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There are currently 14 member reviews
for The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls
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Bettie T. (Johns Island, SC)
Not Quite Fantasy
I found The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls unique in its approach to telling the story of loss, love and healing in a time and place of which I was not familiar: German Friesland of the late 19th century. I was a bit leery when some of the characters entered a fantasy world as a means of coping, but the book as a whole did not dwell in fantasy. Instead, one got into the heads of some very realistic characters going through some extraordinary situations. I found it beautifully written and compelling. It is a challenging book, not for everyone. Some of the local dialect was translated or made apparent by context, but I did go down some "rabbit holes" looking up some other phrases and references. I would recommend it to those who are open to challenges and learning something new. It should be a good meaty read for book groups to discuss. Personally, I look forward to reading other books by Ursula Hegi.
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Becky D. (Gloucester, VA)
Beautifully written book
The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls is an excellent book for a book club discussion. When I have conflicting feelings with a book, it helps hearing others opinions, maybe even receiving a little validation in the process!
I thought the depiction of the home for the pregnant girls was so life affirming and nurturing. I kept thinking how different it was from the home in the movie Philomena (punitive and harsh). At St. Margaret's the nuns felt so strongly that art be a part of the curriculum and that it could actually change the girls. One particular nun felt she should inspire her students "to a vision of her own". This part of the book was sandwiched between extreme sadness and an ending that I was not sure if it was going to cling to reality or end up going on some fantastical journey. I did not feel the sections meshed smoothly together. And there were times I could not tell who was actually talking.
The writing borders on being poetry. One of many examples is when a character, after a major tragedy and experiences the longing for a different outcome. There are "two sides to longing, the hope and the danger of letting the hope devour you".
Since I am not sure what would constitute a spoiler, I feel the need to speak in generalities. There is unspeakable sadness in what happens and how the main characters react to it and all of the following ramifications (like a game of dominoes). Yes, the characters do evolve and work through their experiences. But if the reader is in anyway empathetic, it is depressing.
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Lee M. (Wentzville, MO)
We have Sleepy Hollow
Many, many eons ago, according to the Old Women of Strand, a humongous wave of the Nordsee came and totally buried the neighboring town of Runholdt. Ms Hegi uses this legend as she carefully creates a lyrical and beautiful impressionistic tale of the present town of Strand. Her spot-on descriptions of many of the characters and their contributions help to explain why the town is so successful. By adding psychological details about some of the residents she explains what the Legend means to them, and how it will influence their lives. She carefully weaves love, in all of its forms, throughout.
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Marganna K. (Edmonds, WA)
Struggled Through It
Yes, it was a struggle. Years ago I read Ursula Hegi's Stones from the River & it's still on my "favorites" list. I had high hopes for The Patron Saint of Pregnant Girls. However this book didn't live up to my expectations.
Indeed there is beautiful writing & lovely descriptions of many people, places, things. Taken apart each of those pieces make the book worth reading but taken as a whole it was a struggle for me.
Each character is intriguing - the story arc is there...
Another reviewer mentioned the author's writing style in this novel as "simple thoughts... where reader needs to connect the dots." That's an interesting way to look at the story.
Stepping back from the book with that perspective in mind I can appreciate the writing but it still doesn't make this book a success for me.
I loved the characters & wished they were more than stick figures - I'd be almost there with a character when "poof" I'd be off with someone else & struggle to know who the author was writing about now.
There is a lot to love about this story & Ms. Hegi's writing but it's too choppy & fragmented for me to fully appreciate it & recommend it to others.
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JudyC
The Saint Margaret Home
This is one of the strangest books I have ever read. It appeared to be very disjointed to me. At first I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters and was never sure if it was supposed to be real or fantasy. The individual stories are sort of tied together at the end. I can't say I enjoyed reading this book yet it contains beautiful prose and projects some thought provoking and poetic images. Overall I think the book is well written and has an artistic quality.
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MN Book Lover
I wanted to like it better
I have been a fan of Ursula Hegi since I read Stones from the River 25 years ago. But I really struggled with her newest book. She has been known for developing interesting and relatable characters, and there are glimmers of that in this book but it somehow misses the mark. Perhaps that is due to the disjointed jumping from one time period to another and back again. Don't get me wrong -- it is a readable and some parts of it are very enjoyable, but it is just not up to my expectations of a Hegi work.
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Paula Jacunski
Into the North Sea
On an island in the cold North Sea, Lotte loses three of her four children to a rogue wave. The story of the island community is entwined with the natural surroundings...freak waves, starlings, pregnant girls, and the circus coming to town.
The writing is beautiful and evocative. Most of the characters and the settings become well known. But -- and this is a BIG but -- the characters and settings change so abruptly that it is confusing. One changes to another before I had a feeling for the first one. What should have been a beautiful story was confusing and frustrating for me.
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